OEM cards?

[alco]

Pardon my noobness, but could someone tell me what OEM means?

How do OEM cards differ from Retail cards?

 

[Harabecw]

OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer. Usually the white boxed versions you see which cost a bit less than retail ones because they lack all the nifty add-ons like special cables, games etc. basically you get the card, drivers and cable to the monitor.

And welcome to the forums!

 

[alco]

Thanks. Sorry about the multiple threads.

 

[ShawnReeves]

Originally posted by: alco
Pardon my noobness, but could someone tell me what OEM means?

How do OEM cards differ from Retail cards?

OEM is the same card as Retail but it does NOT come with Manuals, Retail games and even Drivers in most cases. Drivers can be downloaded from the Products support website.
Thier are a few video cards that are OEM which are clocked lower than retail cards. Cant remember what company but I do recall reading about this.

 

[Peter]

... and it doesn't even have to be the same card. All the major card makers do also make cards to a certain OEM's specifications - which oftentimes means making a downspecced card for cost reasons, still with the same moniker. You'd expect these to end up in the OEM's brand boxes only, however when there's surplus, you'll find them on retail shelves too.

The rule is to find the exact specifications of the retail product, and comparing with the OEM gear you're offered. Then make your decision.